Task 7.1 Where do you think Javier’s ideas for changing the situation
might have come from?
Commentary Javier faced a big challenge that many teachers face: lack
of motivation. There is no easy solution to this issue, but
his story shows that there are things that can be done.
Javier explored the situation and then carried out small
actions like:
■
■
using ice-breakers
■
■
telling jokes
■
■
explaining the overall plan of each class
■
■
correcting encouragingly
■
■
using creative activities like sign-making
We don’t know exactly how the positive change in his class
came about or where his ideas came from, but the change
is likely to have resulted from a combination of:
A. Change without extra action. Students’ change in
attitude from Javier’s requesting their opinions and
ideas. Just by talking to his students and giving them
a questionnaire about their attitudes towards English,
Javier is likely to have helped them focus on the issue
and recognise their own fears and concerns.
B. Change due to new actions. Javier tried out a range
of ideas, some of which perhaps came from his training
as a teacher (e.g. correcting encouragingly) or from
colleagues, other teachers, or, for example, the internet.
It also sounds like he came up with his own ideas, such
as the sign creation activity.
Thus, Javier drew upon a range of sources of new actions
to help solve his problem. Interestingly, his action research
did not involve just a single big change but involved several
small changes, each of which contributed to the overall
result.
1. Plan (to change) 2. Act [implement the change] 3. Observe [see what happens – with data] 4. Reflect [interpret what occurred]
